I know it's subjective and I am not selling it anyway, but how much do you think this tiki is worth?
Any ebay sightings ever?
One can learn a lot about something by knowing it's monetary value.
Aloha compadres!
_________________ íViva Tiki! Ambassador of Tiki in Mexico. Zeta is specialized in the research, study and preservation of Tiki culture in Latin countries.

This Tiki is an example of why such a question is hard to answer. I get asked a lot for advice on the value of Tiki items, and it is always tricky. By the layman, meaning out there in the general market, this guy would be under-appreciated, while to us who know that fern wood Tikis are rarer than wood ones, it might be more precious. But it will probably not be valued as the antique it is.

It always depends on who you can sell it two. If two Tikiphiles would get into an e-bay battle over this guy the price could reach, I would say, 3 to 4 hundred ?, but then again if no one bites, it might only go for under a hundred.

I'm curious about this statement: "One can learn a lot about something by knowing it's monetary value."

Really? Monetary value is only determined by what someone else is willing to pay for an item. It really doesn't speak to the item's historical or sentimental value, which personally I find a lot more interesting than the item's monetary value.

Gracias GatoRob,
That's why I said "a lot" instead of "everything"
_________________ íViva Tiki! Ambassador of Tiki in Mexico. Zeta is specialized in the research, study and preservation of Tiki culture in Latin countries.

Maybe Zeta meant that, when it comes down to it, what is finally put on the table for an item is what the actual market value is, which tells "the truth" about its real worth. In the sense that there can be a much praised and hailed item that gets shown around to lotsa ooohs and aaahs, but that when it is put up for sale and is finally sold, it sorta "underperforms"...or, in rare cases, skyrockets!
But that, as Silverline put so well in another thread, can only be determined if the item REALLY gets sold. Then you finally KNOW.

Sorry for double posting, but I have to ad to interesting things to consider. Some valid parameter.
This piece I own came from Hawaii to Madrid in the early 1960's
It is in a very good condition because it wasn't moved from it's fake fountain grotto scenario for more than 40 years... that's important because this specimens are very fragile, so I bet most of them turned into NADA or are already in the process of.
It is this kind of "scientific approach" that I am talking about. That's the value we can quantify to get some idea of it's material value...

If you think of all the sentimental and historical reasons why that tiki is valuable is another thing completely. Also, I truly think it's the only one of it's kind that made it's way to Europe. How much would it be to ship it back to Hawaii nowadays?
_________________ íViva Tiki! Ambassador of Tiki in Mexico. Zeta is specialized in the research, study and preservation of Tiki culture in Latin countries.

A few more entries for the fernwood Tiki gallery. I have a copy of the United Airlines Luau Party Planner that has a page selling fernwood Tikis ranging from 1.5 to 5 feet in size (or you could go with the cork Tiki!). This publication sold every kind of Hawaiian chotsky there was, so you know the fernwood tiki was maintream.

Hey DC, that's a great image, and here's another one that must've been taken at the same time. If we play "match-the-feet", the tiki in your pic must be just beyond Charlton Heston's left big toe in this pic. Also note Arthur Lyman's feet cropped off above. Who knew that Arty and Chuck ever went toe to toe!?!

Back to the topic, here's another Waikiki shot that hasn't been on this thread yet, I think. This is on Kalakaua Ave in front of the Princess Kaiulani.

Found another image of a tiki very similar to this Fern Wood Tiki at the International Marketplace that Hakalugi posted earlier:

Here's a photoshoot taking place in front of what must be a tiki by the same carver. Photography staff provided by the University of Hawaii. This image is from the University of Hawaii's 50-year anniversary yearbook from 1957. No other details.

Dug up these slides taken in Desert Hot Springs in November '92 at the Cactus Springs lodge (which later became a hip, renovated resort):

By the pool I found this lonely furry friend...

...a fern Tiki in an advanced stage of decomposition

He is a good example WHY vintage fern Tikis are so hard to come by in this day and age: If their fibrous material was decaying even in the dry desert climate, one can imagine what humidity did to them. The ones that seem to have survived best were the ones kept indoors.

This place had no other Polynesian touches whatsoever, so the presence of this fella is also an example for how a Tiki was just standard pool decor in California in the 60s, be it in a Polynesian-themed backyard or not.

Thought I'd add these guys to the mix...they're at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Poipu Beach on the island of Kuaui...at least they were back in 1996 when I took these photos. I think there were over a dozen of them dotted throughout the grounds.

Here is a pic i recently saw on wikipedia,The tikis appear to be fernwood.
Also this is a carving I found at the flea market a while back it is fernwood but im not sure of its origin If anybody knows please share.